A Windows executive;s statement this week that Microsoft will continue on to offer netbook makers with XP if they want it for the 12 months after Windows 7 ships isn;t a new policy. It is a restatement of what corporation officials mentioned a 12 months back.In 2008, Microsoft announced officially its decision to enable vendors of low-cost laptops to keep on to bundle XP by means of 2010 or for a year right after the following release of Windows (a k a Windows seven) shipped, whichever arrived last. At that time, Microsoft along with a quantity of other industry gamers had been calling these PCs “ULPCs” (ultra-low-cost PCs), not netbooks.From an April 3, 2008,
microsoft Office 2010 keygen, blog post I did:“As Microsoft officials announced on April 3, makers of ULPCs will be allowed to keep on to preload XP on ULPC machines until June 30,
Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010, 2010, or one year after general availability of the following version of Windows, whichever comes later.”If Microsoft launches Windows seven this fall, as many are expecting, netbook makers will be allowed to carry on to preload XP on new systems through fall 2010. Given that Windows 7 has been shown to perform quite well on netbooks, there are only a couple of reasons I can see vendors wanting to preload XP once seven is out:1. If Microsoft tries to gouge vendors on price with Windows 7. Suitable now, Microsoft is believed to be charging PC makers $15 a copy for XP. Microsoft hasn;t yet told OEMs what it plans to charge them per copy of Windows seven Starter or Home Premium (or any other Win seven SKU for that matter). If Microsoft goes much above $15 per copy,
Windows 7 Serial, it will leave the door wide open for Linux/Android,
Office Standard 2007, etc.2. Users want to proceed to run XP apps which won;t work with Windows 7. The new XP Mode capability Microsoft is introducing with Windows seven is designed to work on higher-end Windows seven SKUs, not the low-end ones likely to be preloaded on netbooks.Anyone else see any reasons users and PC makers might want to keep offering XP following WIndows 7 ships?Speaking of Microsoft and netbooks,
Office 2007 Enterprise Key, Microsoft;s netbook “Jedi mind tricks” (gotta love those Reg headlines) are just one of the topics that Gavin Clarke and I cover in our latest “Microbite” podcast — which is now posted and available for your listening pleasure.